Plot

Keeping Readers Reading (And Yourself Writing)

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steampunk readingIt’s becoming easier and easier for people to put books down these days. With so many entertaining distractions in the world, writers have to fight for readers’ attention more than ever.

Normally, I approach these articles only from the stance of a writer. However, today I’m going to wear two hats: one small writer’s beret with an over-sized reader’s fedora over it.

While it’s sometimes hard to think in two different modes, thinking as a reader can help you answer the age old question, “Is this story worth my time?”

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Cover to Cover II: From Idea to Story

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Monster HunterLast time on Cover to Cover, I introduced this series of articles, which follows a novel from birth to potential publication. The previous entry was all about ideas. How to grow them, nurture them, and expand them.

This time I’m going to show you how to take that idea and mold it into an actual story. This can be a daunting process.

So your idea is born. You’ve done your “What iffing,” your brainstorming, your smashing of numerous breakable objects. Now you have to go forward. The idea can percolate for a bit, but soon it needs to become an actual story. A story that has characters, a plot, a setting, and all that wonderful, wonderful magic that is going to consume your readers and give them many sleepless nights.

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Using Plot to Reveal Character Transformation

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JourneyIf there’s one thing no writer wants to be accused of, it’s writing flat characters.

As readers, we love watching characters transform over the course of their exploits. As writers, we aspire to create those characters. And the transformation need not always be positive; some of the most compelling characters in literature grow darker and more twisted as their stories progress.

Whatever the character’s transformation may be, writers often wrestle with the question, “How can I demonstrate it believably throughout my story?” It’s one thing to say a character is changing; it’s another thing to show that change.

When I first began writing, I was baffled and frustrated by this challenge. I wanted my characters to grow, but my early attempts to show that growth went something like this:

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Killing Off Characters – Knowing When to Drop the Guillotine

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Killing off your characters, while heartbreaking for some, and a joyous field day for others, is something that should not be taken lightly. Kill off too many characters, and your audience becomes irritated. Kill of a beloved character prematurely, and you may face a backlash.

Yet there comes a time when a character has had his moment of glory, and is ready to be retired. If you handle this correctly, you can create a monumental force of emotion in the story. But before you drop the guillotine, understand when it is, and is not, appropriate to do so.

Here are some points to consider:

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